Improvement



. V. D. ELE) R il.; GE,

Bastion-ole Cutters.

No. 134,366, Patented Dec.31,1872.

@www M 25 fm M/ JOHN-V. D. ELDREDGE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTON-HOLE CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. h, dated December 31 1872.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN V. D. ELDREDGE, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Button-Hole Gutter and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon and being a part of this specification, in which- V Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device with the blade open; Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, closed; and Fig. 3 is an edge elevation, with the blade open.

Like letters refer to like parts in each gure.

The nature of this invention relates to an improvement in the construction of that class of button-hole cutters in which a lance-like blade is used for cutting the hole in the fabric; and it consists in the combination with a slotted blade of a metallic handle or Vshield with the extremity turned outwardly to form a stopgage, and a screw passing through the handle and the slot in the blade to secure the latter at any desired point.

In the drawing, A represents a lance-like blade, sharpened on one edge, as at a, and having a central longitudinal slot, b. B is a handle, of the same shape as and a little larger than the blade. It .is preferably made of va strip of sheet metal bent upon itself in the narrowest part, with the two extremities turned outwardly to form the gage-stops c. A screw, C, passes through one side of the han dle, through the slot in the blade, and is threaded in the other part of the handle, so that while the blade may be extended" outwardly from the handle, or retracted into it, more or less, or turned about and inclosed in the handle, it may be securely fastened in any position by the screw clamping the sides of the handle against it. i

To use the cutter, the blade is turned outward, and its point extended on a prolongation of the handle until the width of the proposed button-hole is disclosed at the gage-stops, when it is clampedfast by the screw. The hole is then made in the fabric by pushing the blade through, the point being inserted at one end of the hole with the cutting-edge facing the other end.

When folded into the handle the blade can neither be damaged nor do any damage, being far preferable for this purpose to a detached or separate shield, such as heretofore used.

What I claim as my invention, land desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' The combination, in a button-hole cutter, of theV slotted blade A and the metallic shield or handle B, provided with the gage-stops o, the several parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown, and opera-ted as set forth.

' JOHN V. D. ELDREDGE.

Witnesses z' H. F. EBER'rs, HARRY S. SPRAGUE. 

